KEY OUTCOMES REPORT OF THE 1ST PHILIPPINE DATA FESTIVAL

1st PHILIPPINE

DATA FESTIVAL

15-16 November 2018

The Peninsula Manila Hotel

Philippine Statistics Authority

https://psa.gov.ph/datafestival

Telephone: (02) 462-6600

“ Bringing Statistics Closer to the People”

PSA Complex, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101 Telephone: (632) 938-5267

www.psa.gov.ph

Republic of the Philippines

Philippine Statistics Authority

Batanes

Key Outcomes Report on the Conduct of the 1st Philippine Data Festival 15-16 November 2018

The Peninsula Manila Hotel, Makati City

I. Background

In 2017, the 1st UN World Data Forum was launched in Cape Town, South Africa, as recommended in the report “A World That Counts”, a suitable platform for fostering cooperation with various profession groups, such as information technologists, geospatial information managers, data scientists and users, as well as civil society organizations. Meanwhile, in 2015, the Cartagena Data Festival was successfully conducted in Colombia and was attended by around 300 participants from around the world. The event focused on solving data gaps in coverage, access and analysis of data to contribute to the global effort in pursuing the 2015 agenda. Also, a successful Data for Development Festival was held on 21-13 March 2018 in Bristol, United Kingdom. The event was spearheaded by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and was attended by delegates from 17 countries around the globe including the Philippines. The data festival provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions on the attainment of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 as well as strengthened global partnerships and broadened network for the data community. On the other hand, the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) led by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has annually observed the National Statistics Month (NSM) every October since 1990 pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 647, s. 1990 to:

• Promote, enhance and instill awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of statistics to the different sectors of the society

• Elicit the cooperation and support of the general public in upgrading the quality and standards of statistics in the country.

The NSM celebration has been an opportunity to conduct various conferences, fora and other statistical advocacy programs. Now more than ever, the PSA lined up several activities to involve all sectors particularly the youth and media in the discussions pertaining to the emerging demands on statistics – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022. Thus, it is in this context that the Philippine Data Festival was conducted.

II. About the Workshop

1. Date, Venue and Participants

The 1st Philippine Data Festival was conducted on 15-16 November 2018 at The Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City. The event carries the theme: “Bringing Statistics Closer to the People”.

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Table 1. Number of Participants in the 1st PH Data Fest By Type: 2018

Type of Participant Number

Students 101

Faculty members, teachers, professors 41

Media 5

PSA 95

Other government agencies 51

Private Institutions/Companies 18

Development Partners 3

Others 10

TOTAL 324

A total of 324 participants attended the event with 31.2 percent of the participants from the academe. The complete list of participating agencies, schools, media, and other organizations is attached herein as Annex 1.

2. Objectives

The PH Data Fest was a two-day event consisting of presentations and open discussions, expositions, games and contests. It was conducted in connection with PSA’s commitment in generating quality statistics and promoting a responsive and relevant statistical system capable of providing and communicating timely, accurate and useful data for the government and the public. Specifically, the festival aimed at:

1. instilling appreciation and enhance statistical literacy on official statistics among students;

2. enjoining the academe in the advocacy of statistics; 3. strengthening partnerships and foster collaboration with other government

offices, civil society organizations, and the private sector; and 4. promoting proper interpretation and use of official statistics among media

practitioners.

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3. Sessions

Photo 1. Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D., PSA’s National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, delivering the welcome remarks

To set the tone for the 1st PH Data Fest, Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales, the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of PSA gave her opening remarks. She said that young Pinoys and Pinays are instrumental in better communicating official statistics to the general public. She also noted that statistics is a field that is both crucial to nation-building and fun to explore as it allows for better understanding of the world. She highlighted that the 1st PH Data Fest exemplifies the commitment of the PSA to foster partnerships with the youth and the academe in instilling appreciation and enhancing statistical literacy in the country on official statistics.

Photo 2. PH Data Fest participants at the Rigodon Ballroom during the Plenary Session 1

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Photo 3. Members of the academe having a photo with PSA’s Usec. Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D. during the Meet and Greet the National Statistician session of the Plenary

The two-day event involved the following sessions: 1. Plenary Sessions

1.1. PSA and the PSS 1.1.1. About the Philippine Statistical System and the Philippine Statistics

Authority 1.1.2. Meet and Greet with the National Statistician

1.2. Data Privacy, Freedom of Information and Fake News 1.2.1. How Private Are Your Data? 1.2.2. Battling Fake News with Real Data

1.3. Interesting Demographic and Social Statistics 1.3.1. Sustainable Development Goals: Where Are We Now? 1.3.2. Love, Sexual Health and More: Statistics and Facts

1.4. Featured Statistical Products and Services of the PSA 1.4.1. Circle of Life: Vital Events in Numbers 1.4.2. Launching of Enhanced OpenSTAT

2. Breakout Sessions:

2.1. Session 1 Topics

2.1.1. What You Need to Know About Civil Registration and the Philippine Identification System?

2.1.2. Statistics and Facts on Youth

2.2. Session 2 Topics 2.2.1. Success in Statistics: Position Yourself for the Future 2.2.2. Economic Statistics 101 for Juan and Juana 2.2.3. How Open are Philippine Data?

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2.3. Session 3 Topics 2.3.1. Integrating Statistics and Geospatial Information I 2.3.2. The Future of Big Data in the Philippines 2.3.3. The Philippines and the ASEAN in Figures

2.4. Session 5 Topics

2.4.1. Integrating Statistics and Geospatial Information II 2.4.2. Social Statistics 101 for Juan and Juana

An open forum was held every after the presentations of the resource speakers. A detailed programme of activities is attached herein as Annex 2.

Photo 4. Dr. Erik Wetter, Ms. Ruby Jean Ocenar, and Dr. Erniel Barrios providing their presentations at the Breakout Session 4: The Future of Big Data in the Philippines

III. Games and Contests As the first of its kind in the country, the PH Data Fest featured two (2) games and two (2) contests which were opened to both high school and university students. A. Stats and Ladders

Sharing the same concept as the board game classic “Snakes and Ladders”, Stats and Ladders is a “life-size” board game comprised of two or more players all sharing the same objective of reaching the last board tile. All players can navigate the board through die rolls. Mr. Darren M. Falamig of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines grabbed the first place in this contest.

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Photo 5. Participating students at the game of Stats and Ladders taking turns in rolling the dice

B. Stat Genius

Photo 6. Students from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University – South La Union Campus taking their turn at the Stat Genius game

Similar to the concept of the Filipino Pantomime Game “Pinoy Henyo”, Stat Genius is a game which encourages deductive skills by guessing statistical terms and concepts, as well as general information on the Philippine Statistical System (PSS). The goal of the game is for a player to correctly guess a given word through a series of asking deductive questions to another player, under a specified time frame (i.e. two minutes). Southern Luzon State University’s Oliver L. Talavera and Desserie D. De Castro won the first prize in this game.

C. Contest on Data Cartooning The Data Cartooning Contest involved illustrating data into visually appealing and

concise but informative way. This allowed sharing of insights and knowledge in

interpreting data by means of sketching or drawing comical image/s. The PSA

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organized this competition to allow students to express their views on how statistics

can matter to common Filipino students and appreciate the value of statistics

produced by the PSA. The work of Mr. Alvin R. Cendaña of Don Mariano Marcos

Memorial State University topped nine (9) other entries of other contestants.

Photo 7. Student participants during the Data Cartooning contest

Photo 8. Mr. Alvin R. Cendaña of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University – South La Union Campus won the 1st place for the Data Cartooning contest

D. Contest on Data Storytelling The Data Storytelling Contest is an on-the-spot contest that involved the preparation of articles using official statistics. The contest aims to test students’ data literacy i.e., data interpretation and communication. Ms. Arianne Camielle DR. Caritos of the University of the Philippines – Los Baños won first place.

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Photo 9. Ms. Arianne Camielle DR Caritos of the UP Los Baños Institute of Statistics during the Data Storytelling contest

A total of 101 students participated in the above-mentioned contests and games. A complete list of winners is provided in Annex 3. During the closing session, medals and certificates were awarded to contest and game winners of the 1st PH Data Fest. The names of winners were posted at the 1st PH Data Fest webpage (https://psa.gov.ph/datafestival). Winning entries for the Contest on Data Cartooning were posted at the PSA library located in PSA Complex, East Avenue, Quezon City. Meanwhile, the winning entries for the Contest on Data Storytelling were filed in the records of the Standards Service.

Photo 10. PSA Officials (ANS Wilma Guillen, ANS Minerva Eloisa Esquivias, Usec. Lisa Grace S. Bersales, and ANS Candido J. Astrologo, Jr.) with student participants during the awarding of certificates and medals.

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IV. Statistics and Cultural Exhibits A Statistics Museum was also showcased which contained collection of old statistical publications and equipment used in data collection, processing and communication. The PSA organized a mobile helpdesk on civil registration concerns. Exhibitors in the event included Geodata Technologies, Inc., The Manila Collectible Co. and Globe Telecom. With the assistance of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the acapella group, PhiSix, performed the intermission, invocation and sang the National Anthem on the first day of the PH Data Fest. Meanwhile, the PSA WeIRD Band performed the intermission number on the second day.

Photo 11. PSA Officials (Atty. Lourdines Dela Cruz, ANS Wilma Guillen, ANS Minerva Eloisa Esquivias, Ms. Gina Perido, RD Rosalinda Apura, and Mr. Malcolm Queyquep) at the regional infographics exhibit

Photo 12. A cappella group PhiSix performing during the Plenary Sessions of the PH Data Fest.